Capítulo 56: No Mercy

Ethan had used five of his clones out of the nine he could employ, corresponding to the nine tails in his spiritual form. This meant he could wield an incredibly superior power, but no one questioned what his clones were doing.

He knew that Slenderman was a creature difficult to deceive; the only way to trap such a being was by exploiting the arrogance that dark entities often fell into.

Slenderman was a being who had faced numerous hunters and killed them with ease. What could possibly stop him from eliminating a few more now?

That mistake led him to fall into an area specifically prepared to protect the space, imposing negative factors on the dark entity, such as preventing long periods of teleportation. Moreover, Slenderman couldn't access an alternate dimension within this territory.

But that wasn't enough, which was why Ethan had been preparing an attack during his battle with Slenderman, planning to deliver a devastating blow by leveraging his supernatural abilities.

As a nine-tailed Kitsune, Ethan's primary elements were darkness and thunder, which he could manipulate through his nine tails.

His clones simulated attacks while secretly preparing a unique strike intended to erase Slenderman from reality, extinguishing any possibility of his resurgence.

However, the situation changed when Hallie appeared, and Slenderman was recovering.

The demon, dark entity, or spirit knew well how to manipulate people, one method being to use them as bargaining chips.

When Slenderman felt threatened, he mentally controlled one of the unprepared girls and secretly moved her into a position where he could have her.

"Stop!" In the middle of the forest, where numerous fallen trees lay and a curtain of dust slowly dissipated, Ethan, who was slowly recovering, saw Slenderman holding Hallie.

Liam and the other agents knew how grave the situation had become.

They were now faced with an option that would leave a lifelong scar: sacrificing the girl to win the battle.

Their surroundings were nothing but ruins and debris; they were not in a controlled area, and everything that happened here would remain in this place. Still, it was a decision no one was willing to take lightly.

Without further delay, everyone stopped firing, awaiting Ethan's decision, which they would respect without question.

However, his decision took too long.

Boom!

Numerous branches traveling underground suddenly moved, and several agents, who had barely had time to lift their weapons, were thrown back with their hearts pierced. The weapons fell to the ground, and Liam, realizing what was happening, began to retreat while firing at the ground.

He didn't want to lose his life, and no one could blame him for that.

Ethan couldn't allow his agents to die either, so he summoned four more silhouettes that moved to the rear to save as many agents as possible.

Crack! Crack! Crack!

The agents' deaths ceased when the dark shadows began cutting the roots emerging from the ground. Meanwhile, the remaining five clones surrounded Slenderman, who now had a worn-out appearance.

As a hunter, Ethan knew his priority wasn't to save Hallie, who was in Slenderman's grasp. That's why he sheathed his sword, and holding his pistols, he fired at the head of the enormous, distorted figure.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

The other agents joined in, none of them aiming where the girl was, focusing all their shots on Slenderman's head.

For the first time in his existence, Slenderman showed surprise; humans had prioritized victory over the life of a child.

That surprise lasted long enough for Ethan to appear at his side and deliver a kick to his midsection, sending Slenderman crashing into a tree.

Crack!

A root pierced Ethan's chest, but he showed no signs of stopping. With both hands, he murmured, "Five-point seal, spiritual prison."

The shadows around Slenderman raised their swords and, one by one, pierced his body.

Ethan had now shifted his goal from elimination to sealing. His abilities allowed him to do this, and despite his hatred for the decision, too many had died, so he prioritized his team's stability over the destruction of a dark entity.

"You will be my trophy, monster." Ethan glowed with a black aura as nine tails formed behind him along with his hands, and at that moment, a prison opened up from the ground.